Away in a Manger
by Sid Mc
Summary: Kid and Jimmy are frustrated to find themselves stranded by a blizzard on their way home to their first real family Christmas. But a surprising discovery in a hay-filled barn leads to a memorable holiday after all. (Previously published.) Image copyright: Nesciri.


It felt as if they'd been riding for hours. The horses plodded through the thick drifts of snow, struggling against the sharp, biting cold. Kid and Jimmy rode close together, their jackets pulled tightly around them, their heads bowed low, the brims of their hats drawn down over their eyes. The wind whistled around them; a fierce, burning wind that numbed their ears. Their faces were frozen and raw, chapped a painful, sensitive red. They rode so close to one another that their knees occasionally bumped together, and the contact of frozen limb against frozen limb sent painful shudders through each of them.

Jimmy had spent the first portion of the journey muttering threats to Kid under his breath. It was Kid who had coaxed him into leaving the safety and warmth of the hotel in St Joe, promising him they would be okay, guilting him into risking his life in the cold and snow so as not to disappoint Emma and Lou on Christmas Eve. But after a mile the litany of threats had given way to silence. It was too cold to talk. It was too cold to think. It was too cold to do anything. Jimmy's mind was simply frozen into the desperate plea for warmth and home.

Beside him Kid's thoughts were centered on the same, but his guilt ran deep. If it hadn't been for him Jimmy would have stayed in St Joe. If it hadn't been for him they wouldn't be out in this mess. But God help him, the need to see Lou ran deeper - and for _that,_ he felt guilty.

It was impossible to tell how far they had made it. When they dared to look up, the snow swirled in front of their eyes, obscuring their vision and nearly blinding them. There were no discernible landmarks. Everything was blanketed in dazzling white, a white that seemed almost unearthly in its brilliance. On and on they rode. Both men could feel their limbs growing sluggish and weary. The reins slipped more than once from Jimmy's firm grasp and it took sheer strength of will to find them again as they whipped about in the storm. Kid pressed his knees tighter into his horse's sides, and felt Katy protest a little from the pressure and the conditions she was being forced to endure. "You're doin' good, girl, come on", he urged, and his words were lost in the wailing wind.

He had never known such cold. Virginia had had her share of frosty winters, but even when the snow piled high on her beautiful green hills and the wind whipped through the holes in the walls of his family's home, even when he and his brother and mother had sat huddled around a dying fire - even then he had not known such cold. Cold that invaded you, seeping into your skin and through to your bones, filling your lungs and taking the very breath from your body. Once, in the heat of the blistering summer, Teaspoon had decided to cool them all off by telling them stories of snow and winter. He had warned them that when a man was at his coldest, he would suddenly begin to feel a drowsy, overwhelming warmth, and that warmth was dangerous. That warmth was the body's way of telling a man he couldn't get any colder. And it was that warmth that both Kid and Jimmy were beginning to feel. With more energy than he felt, Jimmy lifted his head to scan the horizon once more. In the distance, not more than fifty yards, a wooden building, its shape imperceptible, stood out against the snow. He shook his head as if to clear his vision. The shack was still there. Hope rose in his throat.

"Kid!" he yelled, his voice fighting against the wind. "KID!"

Kid lifted his head, his blue eyes rising over the collar of his jacket, gazing at Jimmy curiously. Snow had clustered at the edges of his lashes. His nose was still buried in his collar. Jimmy gestured wildly with his free hand, pointing in the direction of the shack. It took a moment for Kid to find it, but when he did his eyes lit up. He nodded in affirmation and dug his heels into Katy's side, spurring her onward.

It was hard work, and they could feel their mounts straining, exerting every last ounce of energy they possessed. The snow was piling higher, reaching to the horses' knees now. The steady hooves ate up the few remaining inches, and then Kid and Jimmy were in front of a surprisingly sturdy-looking barn. Wordlessly they jumped down and took their horses by the reins. The wind seemed even stronger. It fought against them, pushing them back with each step they took. The two friends doubled over at the waist and held on to the reins for dear life. Jimmy could feel the bitter slap of the cold against his face, the sharpness stinging his eyes. He felt the pressure as physically as a fist at his stomach. And just when he thought they would never make it, Kid was at the door.

"Take Katy's reins!" he shouted, and Jimmy obliged.

Using both hands, Kid grabbed the handle and tugged, engaging in yet another battle with Mother Nature as she shoved angrily against the force of his pull. But he won at last, opening the door wide and urging Jimmy and the horses through before following them and letting the door slam shut behind them all. For several minutes, Kid and Jimmy just stood there, panting, shivering, too tired to move any further. Katy and Moonshine, Jimmy's horse, immediately headed for the crisp, sweet hay at the side of the barn. The soft, muted sounds of their munching could be heard after a moment.

Finally both friends lifted their heads. It was then that the silence struck them. Inside the barn all was peaceful and still. Cows gazed at them with huge, docile eyes, chewing their cud nonchalantly. Two small sheep drank at a trough of water. Katy and Moonshine were still crunching at the hay. Those were the only sounds in the quiet building. The wind that was an angry howl in the outside world was merely an unobtrusive whine in this peaceful bower. And it was warm. The heat of the animals' bodies, combined with the hay that insulated the room, as well as the well-structured walls of the barn, served to bathe it in gentle heat.

With stiff fingers, Kid and Jimmy pulled their gloves off and slipped out of their jackets and hats, laying the things out to dry. They rubbed their hands and felt their skin tingle painfully as warmth flooded back into them.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy."

Jimmy looked over at his friend. Kid's face was a mask of guilt and apology. Deciding to draw this unexpected moment out just a bit longer, Jimmy said, "What for?"

"For dragging you out into this -" Kid gestured with his arm as if to indicate the whole of the world. "For begging you to risk your life just so I could get home in time to spend Christmas with Lou."

He dropped his head suddenly, hanging it in shame. "It was awful selfish of me."

Jimmy suddenly felt uncomfortable. He had never done well with other people's guilt; his own made him miserable enough. "Aw Kid, it ain't that big a deal. If I had a woman like Lou waitin' at home for me, I doubt I'da done any different." He stopped suddenly, realizing the precarious weight of his words. He waited for the usual reaction from Kid, but instead of bristling with irritation, he just smiled at him and nodded.

"It was selfish of me just the same," Kid said.

"Ah hell, I wanted to get home too," Jimmy admitted. "Emma's been promisin' that Christmas dinner for weeks now."

Kid sighed, momentarily setting thoughts of Lou aside to lick his lips in anticipation of the meal Emma had promised them in celebration of the holiday. She had assured them she would prepare all the trimmings and the boys and Lou had been looking forward to it.

"Well," Jimmy said. "Might as well make the best of it now."

Kid nodded. "We're lucky to have found this place."

"Damn lucky. If we'd had to go any longer in this blizzard I swear my legs would have frozen and dropped right off my body."

Kid chuckled. "Let's get the horses. They need a rest more than either of us."

They made quick work of removing the saddles from the horses. Both Katy and Moonshine shivered with pleasure the moment their burdens were removed from their backs. Their skin rippled as Jimmy and Kid brushed them down and patted them gratefully, whispering words of thanks to the faithful mounts. When Moonshine's delighted whinny died down, a sudden squeal caught both men's attention. Their heads flew up and around the barn, searching for movement.

"Did you hear that?" Jimmy asked unnecessarily.

"Shh..."

Jimmy dropped his voice lower. "Could be someone else hidin' out here."

The squeal came again, followed by a murmured gurgle and soft rustling sounds.

"Is it a pig?" whispered Jimmy.

Kid was walking stealthily through the barn, the hay crunching under his feet. He moved with exaggerated slowness, his eyes darting everywhere. Jimmy snickered.

"You look like a fool," he called in a low voice.

Kid shot him a withering glance before drawing his gun from its holster and disappearing around a corner, suddenly hidden behind a stall. There was silence. Jimmy tensed. "Kid?" No response. "Psst...Kid!" His hand went to his hip and he prepared himself to draw, when suddenly Kid's throaty chuckle met his ears. The chuckle deepened into full-bodied laughter and Jimmy released his hold on his gun.

"Come on over here, Jimmy. Come see what had us so scared."

Brow furrowed in confusion, Jimmy joined Kid in the empty stall. He followed his friend's gaze down to where it rested on a manger full of hay...and a baby that wriggled and squirmed and met Jimmy's eyes with yet another squeal of delight.

"I'll be damned," breathed Jimmy.

Kid was crouching down beside the manger, an amused look on his face. "Hey there, little one," he murmured. He extended one slender hand to the baby and received a firm pull in return. The baby's soft, fat fingers wrapped around Kid's thumb. Another gurgle of happiness emitted from the drooling mouth and the tiny lips curled into a smile directed at Kid. Kid in return seemed equally mesmerized by the wee creature with the flailing arms and legs.

Reaching out, he stroked one smooth, downy cheek and was rewarded with a broad smile in return. One tooth jutted out from the baby's lower gum, giving an adorably lop-sided look.

Jimmy laughed at loud. "He's one cute little cuss," he said appreciatively.

Kid bristled. "Don't say that. Maybe it's a little girl."

"Well, I can't exactly tell from its clothes," countered Jimmy. The baby was swathed entirely in a white nightgown and a heavy woolen blanket.

"It's got hair." Kid brushed the thick black curls on the tiny head.

"That doesn't tell us anything."

"And it's got long eyelashes."

"It's not an it!"

"Well, what else are we supposed to call the baby?" Kid argued reasonably.

"There _is_ a way to find out, you know, Kid."

They looked at one another briefly and then looked just as quickly away, blushing, color rising high in their cheeks.

"I got a more important question for you, Kid - where are this baby's parents?"

"Maybe they're hidin'?"

"There's no places to hide other than this here empty stall."

"Maybe they had to leave the baby behind."

"What kind of parents would do that to a little baby?"

"Hell Jimmy, I don't know! People have all kinds of reasons."

"Name one."

"Maybe..."

"Go on. Maybe what? Give me one good reason why someone would leave their baby here all alone. I don't see any food, do you? Or clothes? Or anything other than this blanket? I think someone just left this baby here because they couldn't be bothered to keep it with them."

"I thought _I_ was the one who could only see things as black or white," Kid remarked crossly. It was an accusation that had been hurled at him more times than he cared to count, and each time it stung a little bit more.

Jimmy was momentarily chastised. "Look...Kid..."

"Sometimes...sometimes, Jimmy...I see a little bit of gray too."

* * *

It was a girl.

After a heated rock, paper, scissors tournament, Jimmy finally admitted defeat and approached the wriggling baby with a distrustful eye. He stepped carefully as if expecting the infant to be on the offensive. As he neared, the baby let loose a happy shriek that pierced both men's eardrums. Jimmy winced and moved closer. The strong, foul smell wafted toward him. It was the smell of an outhouse on a hot summer's day. Jimmy stood over the baby, eyes narrowing distrustfully. The baby cooed and grinned at him, flashing the lone tooth once more, pushing with miniscule toes against the confines of the manger. Fat arms and legs exploded into joy, slapping against the little chest and slicing through the air. The baby watched Jimmy with shining green eyes as the tall man loomed over the bed of hay. Kid watched them both, snorting with suppressed laughter.

Jimmy looked down. "I hope you realize I don't know what the hell I'm doin', little one."

The baby nodded as if in complete understanding.

"And you're gonna have to stop thrashing about like that, all right?"

All four limbs stilled obediently. The dark green eyes were fixed on Jimmy with complete trust. Jimmy knelt once more beside the manger and began to unwrap the blanket from around the baby. A fresh waft of smell met his nose and his nostrils curled in disgust. The baby had soiled its diaper clear through to the white nightgown. It cooed happily at Jimmy. Jimmy lifted his kerchief from around his neck, bringing it up over his mouth and nose, settling it firmly into place till it obscured the lower half of his face. From his vantage point in the hay in an opposite corner of the room, Kid erupted into laughter.

"You gonna take it off at gunpoint, Jimmy?"

"Keep quiet, you, or I know what I'll be doin' with this here diaper when I'm through with it." Kid's mouth clamped shut immediately.

The cloth was secured around the baby's waist with safety pins. Jimmy set those aside for future use and slowly, carefully, ever so fearfully, he began to lower the cloth. The sight that met his eyes sent him shooting to his feet, jerking the kerchief down. He backed away so fast he nearly fell into the hay. "Good God Almighty!" he exclaimed, shuddering.

With that, Kid could hold it back no longer, and he once more burst into giggles, holding his sides as his ribs began to ache from the laughter. "Oh God...oh Jimmy, your face!"

Jimmy turned the full force of his glare on his best friend. "Very funny. Oh yeah, that's real funny. Why don't you go take a look at that, Kid? Tell me what your first reaction is. Go on, don't be shy."

"No, I'm all right where I am, thanks." Kid motioned toward the baby. "Don't you think you'd better finish changing its diaper?"

"It's a girl."

"Well, take care of her then!" Kid's eyes danced. "Go on, Jimmy, that ain't no way to treat a lady, now is it?"

"Some day, Kid," Jimmy threatened with a pointing finger, "your time will come. Some day Lou's gonna hand you a messy little lady of your own and I don't think she's gonna let you try and rock-paper-scissors your way out of it."

Kid only grinned. "My time ain't come yet, Jimmy, but yours has. Now go on."

Gritting his teeth, Jimmy went back to the baby. She had her legs in the air and was clasping her fat little ankles in her hands. She babbled incoherently at Jimmy, flashing him a heartbreaking smile. Jimmy softened to mush. Taking a deep breath he straightened up and crouched by her side.

"All right, little lady, let's get this over with." He paused and looked over at his friend.

"Kid, what the hell am I supposed to use to...well, to clean this up?"

"Well, that shirt of yours is about as ugly as sin. I think it'd be a fitting fate for it, don't you?"

"Ha ha." Jimmy grabbed a handful of hay and steeled himself to the task at hand. "All right, little girl, here we go..."

The contact of the rough hay against her tender skin made the baby wince. She stared at Jimmy in shock, as if he'd betrayed her. Her little face scrunched up and with no other warning her mouth opened, followed by great, breathless sobs. Her arms stiffened at her sides, her hands balling up into tiny fists and she cried for all she was worth.

Jimmy stared helplessly at her. "I'm sorry, little girl. What'd I do?"

"You idiot! You can't go usin' hay on a baby like that. Good God, Jimmy, where's your head?"

"You got a better idea?"

"Well...wait! Yeah, I do!" Kid darted toward the saddlebags and was back in an instant. He rummaged through one for a moment before withdrawing a small parcel of brown paper.

"You think that paper's any softer than this hay, Kid?"

"Not the paper, Jimmy; what's _in_ the paper!" Kid began to undo the carefully wrapped package, revealing the snow white linen napkins underneath.

"Dammit Kid, I bought those special for Emma's new table!"

"You got a better idea?" Kid echoed his friend's words with equal fervor.

One look over at the still whimpering baby changed Jimmy's mind, though not his disappointment. He sighed. "All right. Hand 'em over."

His heart sank as one by one the beautiful napkins were used to clean the baby's dirty, bare bottom. Her sobs had quieted and she watched Jimmy skeptically, waiting to see what he would do next.

"Uh, Jimmy?"

"What?"

"What are we supposed to use for the baby's diaper now?"

"Oh hell..."

"Maybe you'd better not cuss around her, either. Little pitcher's have big ears, you know."

"She's a _baby_, Kid! She don't know one word from another."

Both friend's heads swiveled around to look down at the baby. Her cognizant gaze suggested otherwise; she seemed to understand every word they were saying, even sensing their confusion. She smiled at them and when both men instantly succumbed to her considerable charms, her smiled widened into one of pure pleasure.

Jimmy removed his kerchief and in movements that suggested he had done it hundreds of times before, he fashioned a diaper around the baby and effortlessly secured it with the safety pins.

"I'm impressed, Jimmy."

Jimmy flushed with pride. "I paid attention," he said shyly. "Now we just need to find her somethin' to wear. She ruined her nightgown."

They were silent, contemplating. Then there was another sigh, this time from Kid.

Rifling once more through the saddlebags, he withdrew a larger package and handed it to his friend. "Merry Christmas, Jimmy."

Puzzled, Jimmy took the package and opened it. Inside was a brand new blue chambray shirt, just his size. He looked at Kid. Kid shrugged uncomfortably.

"Everyone's always givin' you a bad time about wearin' the same shirt all the time. Anyway, Lou helped me pick it out."

"You done got soft on me, Kid," teased Jimmy, but he was pleased.

Kid grinned. "Well, we all gotta do our part to keep you lookin' respectable, Jimmy."

"Awful big of you, Kid." Then Jimmy eyed the baby, who couldn't have weighed more than thirteen pounds. "Speakin' of which...it's gonna be huge on her."

* * *

An hour later, Kid held the baby in his arms, rocking her from side to side, locking their gazes together. Jimmy was at the barn door, sticking his nose out into the white world.

"It's died down," he called over his shoulder. "Still snowin' like the devil, but I think it'll let up by mornin'."

Kid had the baby snuggled up against his chest, his hand open as she ran her small fingers over his palm. He was smiling, totally enraptured. Now that she had been cleaned and changed she had an intoxicating smell of something fresh and wholly new. He couldn't stop sniffing at her, loving the way she laughed when he did.

"You know, Jimmy, she needs a name."

"I was thinkin' that myself."

"Should be somethin' Christmas-y, don't you think?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Mary, maybe?"

"Naw, there's a whole bunch of Marys out there. Her name oughta be somethin' unique."

"Like maybe...?"

Jimmy's face screwed up in thought. "Like maybe..." Suddenly he brightened. "Beth."

"Beth? What's 'Elizabeth' got to do with Christmas?"

"No, 'Beth'. Like Bethlehem, where Jesus was born."

"Beth." Kid said the name as if for the first time. "Beth. I like it."

Jimmy crossed the barn and sank down into the hay beside Kid. He thrilled to the immediate touch of the baby's hand as it closed around his index finger. "Bethlehem Hickok. Has kind of a ring to it, don't you think?"

Kid glared at him. "What makes you think her name should be Hickok?"

"You got a better idea?" The words seemed to be the theme of the day. "'Cause Bethlehem _Kid_ just don't sound that good."

To his surprise, instead of a sharp retort, Kid grinned, his blue eyes sparkling. "Well, I guess you're right at that."

They lay Beth down in the hay between them and laughed at her chubby body swallowed up by Jimmy's shirt. She commenced once more to kicking her legs and slapping her chest with her arms, grinning and blowing bubbles. For several minutes they sat and played with the baby's miniscule fingers and tiny, delicate toes, tickling her ribs and holding out their hands to feel the pressure of her featherlight kicks. Not an intelligible word was spoken between them; it was all coos and babbles directed at the baby, who seemed to feel she deserved their complete attention.

"Cootchy-cootchy-coo!"

"Little snuggle-bunny."

"Aw, who's a pretty girlie?"

"Say goo-goo. Say goo-goo for Kid and Jimmy."

Beth only looked at them, amused but perplexed by their incoherent ramblings. She wriggled a bit more and furrowed her brow, saying nothing.

"Uh, Kid?"

Kid didn't look up from tickling the baby's knees. "What?"

"You won't tell anyone I said 'cootchy-cootchy-coo', will you?"

Kid paused, looking at his friend. "Long as you don't tell anyone I said the word 'snuggle-bunny', your secret's safe with me."

* * *

"Check her diaper!"

"Dammit, Kid, I told you I done checked her diaper ten times already!"

"See if one of those safety pins is stickin' her!"

Jimmy threw a menacing look over the screaming baby laying against his chest. "I told you," he said slowly, with a thin veneer of patience, "I checked her diaper, I checked the safety pins, I checked to see if she has any hay stickin' in her; I checked _everything_!"

"Maybe she's sleepy," Kid offered anxiously.

"What?" The baby's head was resting on Jimmy's shoulder now, her mouth directly against his ear. Her piercing wails were all he could focus on.

Kid stepped closer. "I said - maybe she's _sleepy_!"

"Well, Kid, I'd say even if she was, her own screamin's keepin' her awake."

"Sing her a lullaby!"

"I don't know any lullabies! How should I know any lullabies? You're so damn full of suggestions, why don't _you_ sing her one?"

"I told you not to cuss around her, Jimmy."

"Go ahead, Mr Know-It-All, take her." Jimmy held Beth out to Kid. "Go on, then, sing to her. See if that famous Southern charm works on women who ain't old enough to know any better."

Kid swept the baby into his arms, eyes blazing indignantly at his friend. "Well, she obviously knows a damn sight more than you're givin' her credit for. She sure ain't fallin' for _your_ charms, now is she?"

Beth's sobs grew louder. She had reached an inhuman volume and her cries had become short, staccato bursts of rage. Her sweet baby face had turned red and tears were leaking out of her eyes. Both men looked at her helplessly.

"I don't think a lullaby's gonna help any," Kid said.

"Well then, what the hell do we do?" asked Jimmy, but it was an entreaty rather than a retort. "Kid, we ain't got a clue what a baby needs or wants or how to -" He stopped suddenly, eyes fixed on Beth as she lay in Kid's arms. Her cries had died to a whimper. She had seized Kid's fingers in hers and was sucking desperately on his thumb. Kid watched Jimmy anxiously, completely unaware.

"What, Jimmy?"

"Kid - "

"Ow!" yelped Kid.

"What happened?"

"She bit me! Well," he amended, "she didn't actually _bite_ me, seein's how she's only got that one tooth, but she dug that little sucker right into my thumb like she was ready to chew it off, and damned if it didn't -" Kid broke off, eyes lighting up with realization.

"Ohhhh..."

He and Jimmy grinned at each other as Beth's sobs escalated once more.

"I feel pretty stupid, Jimmy, how 'bout you?"

"Yep. Pretty stupid."

As if in agreement, one of the cows mooed at them from across the barn, gazing at them disdainfully.

"You be quiet, girl," instructed Jimmy with a grin. "You're about to be milked by a

very inexperienced cowboy." And with that, he went to fetch a stool and bucket and try his hand at being a farmer.

* * *

The small tin cup Jimmy had purchased specially for Ike, who had lost his own, was filled with the cow's milk. The dainty new bonnet Kid had found for Emma had been stretched over the rim of the cup, allowing the liquid to soak through. The baby's face was soon soaked with milk from the awkwardly-fashioned container, but her cries had ceased altogether. She was happy again and rewarded her two saviors with more smiles.

Jimmy had the pleasant task of holding Beth, while Kid carefully gave her the milk. Her chubby hands grasped the container with a firm grip, daring him to take it away. She drank steadily for several minutes until her little stomach was full, and then she pushed it from her face, refusing any more.

"There now," said Kid, pleased with their newly-acquired baby skills.

"I guess we done pretty good, ain't we, Kid?" Jimmy was equally proud. He felt ten feet tall and ready to take on a whole passel of babies.

"If we'd had Cody along I doubt it woulda taken us so long to realize what she needed," laughed Kid.

And then the crying began again. Quieter this time, not the frustrated bellows of earlier, but still overwhelming.

"What now?" groaned Jimmy. "She can't still be hungry. Her stomach ain't even big enough to hold what she drank!"

"Try bouncin' her around."

Obediently, Jimmy held Beth to his chest, her arms flopping over his broad shoulder, and began to jostle her up and down. The baby still sniffled. Jimmy eyed Kid skeptically.

"Are you sure about this, Kid? I sure know how I'd feel if I had a full stomach and someone was bouncin' me around like a -" He got no further, for no sooner were the words out of his mouth than Beth let out a loud, prolonged belch that would have done a grown man proud. And then Jimmy felt something hot, warm, and very wet slithering down his shoulder.

He lifted the baby away and looked down to see a trail of thick, white, regurgitated milk making its way down his favorite shirt. It didn't smell too great, either. He looked again at Beth, suspended midair between his hands. She waved two fat fists with a happy baby giggle, and then thrust her thumb into her nearly toothless mouth, curling her fingers around her nose. She seemed aware of what she had done, but completely unconcerned. She kicked her legs through the air, blowing bubbles with her spit, drool trickling around the thumb still wedged in her mouth.

"Laugh and I'll deck you," Jimmy said without looking at Kid. Kid, however, did not answer. His face was buried in the hay, his snorts of laughter barely discernible.

* * *

In the hours following their discovery of Beth, Kid and Jimmy had forgotten the whole reason they were there in the first place. The snowstorm outside was a distant memory. Their world suddenly revolved around a tiny creature that weighed no more than a sack of flour. Sometime that evening it did occur to Jimmy to check outside again.

Wearing the new shirt he had intended for Teaspoon's gift, he climbed the bench to peer out the window that had been installed high on the wall. He peered out for several minutes, silent. Kid was laying in the hay with the baby at his side, reading to her from the paperback adventure Jimmy had purchased for Cody's Christmas present.

"What is it, Jimmy? Is it worse?"

"No," Jimmy said after a moment. "It's...beautiful."

Leaving both Beth and the book safe in the hay, Kid joined Jimmy at the window. Both of them stood on the bench and stared out into the white world. The snow had not let up, but it was now merely falling in lovely, soft flakes. Outside all was covered in white, and beautiful like something straight off a penny postcard. There was a pale, bluish tinge to the sky, casting a glow over everything beneath it, shining off the snow like a lamp.

Kid smiled at its beauty. "Well, Happy Christmas Eve, Jimmy."

"Happy Christmas Eve to you, Kid."

They climbed down off the bench and stood quietly for a moment.

"Wonder what they're all doin' back at the bunkhouse?" wondered Jimmy. It was the first they'd mentioned of their family back home since the early afternoon.

"Probably sittin' down to a nice dinner right about now," Kid replied wistfully. His stomach grumbled in response. It had been a while since the bread and jerky they'd consumed a few hours before. "And Emma's probably checkin' the window when she thinks nobody's lookin', and Teaspoon's tellin' her we'll be all right, and Lou's tellin' her not to worry so much." Kid sighed. His arguments with Lou over his own worrying were frequent and often heated.

Jimmy sensed the reason behind his friend's sigh. "She's worryin' about you too, Kid. Maybe she don't show it like you do, but she does worry about you."

"Maybe she's worryin' about you, 'cause you never bother her with it like I do. But she's probably thinkin', 'Maybe this'll teach Kid a lesson about worryin' when there's no real cause for it." Kid tried to lighten his words with a smile, but failed.

"You really believe that, Kid?"

He sighed again. "Maybe. Not really. I don't know." Kid sat down on the bench, his eyes wandering around the barn as he spoke. "I know what everyone thinks, Jimmy - everyone thinks I don't think she can handle herself, that I think she needs to be watched out for, that I'm tryin' to take away her independence."

"Not everyone thinks that, Kid," argued Jimmy hastily, sensing they were about to tread further into sensitive territory.

"Don't give me that bull, Jimmy. I see it in everyone's eyes; I see it in _your_ eyes. Every time I beg Lou not to go on a run, every time I tell her I was worried about her, I know exactly what everyone's thinkin': There he goes again, actin' like he owns her or somethin'. Not lettin' Lou just be Lou. Right? Ain't that what everyone thinks?"

Jimmy made no response. He could read Kid well enough to know that what he needed right now was someone to listen, not someone to offer advice. And maybe that was where the problem came about sometimes, he reflected; everyone was so intent on Kid's actions they never thought to look deeper into what lay behind them.

"I think Lou is the most amazing woman I've ever known, Jimmy. And I know everything's she's capable of. Everyone thinks I underestimate her, but you know somethin'? I know what's she capable of more than any of you. I've known her for what she truly is since the beginning; I was the first, remember? And I watched her succeed, every single time, and every time I thought I knew her limits, she surprised me. Again and again. But not without a cost. And it's those costs that get me worryin' like an old woman sometimes."

Jimmy smiled. Lou wasn't the only one who was amazing. Sometimes, as now, Kid shocked the hell out of him.

"I just don't want her hurt, Jimmy."

"None of us want that."

"But would you do anything to protect her?"

Jimmy paused. His gaze swept the interiors of the barn. "I think you know the answer to that, Kid. There's not a man in that bunkhouse who wouldn't lay down his life if it meant savin' Lou. I know I can say the same for Emma and Sam and Teaspoon, too. But 'anything' is kind of a big word. Kinda leaves things wide open, don't you think? If by 'anything' you mean would I step in front of a bullet for her, then yes. Would I chain her to the bunkhouse porch to keep her from riding off into certain death? Hell, I don't doubt I'll have to some day." He turned his head to look at Kid. "But if you mean would I let my own worries and fears and doubts stop her from findin' out what's around that next corner...well, the answer is no."

"That's not what I mean to do," Kid said softly.

"I see that now. The problem is, maybe Lou don't." Kid was silent, thoughtfully contemplating Jimmy's words. "I don't think I'll ever stop worryin' about her, Jimmy."

"You don't have to stop worryin' about her, Kid. What you gotta do is not drive her crazy with it. I ain't sayin' it's all your fault, neither; Lou's about as stubborn as they come." Jimmy chuckled, thinking of more than one instance when he had been witness to extravagant displays of that stubbornness. "Don't give up, Kid. She'll come around. One of these days you two will meet in the middle and there won't be no more of this carryin' on we're all subjected to day after day." He slapped his friend good-naturedly on the arm. "Come on, let's go check on that baby."

Kid watched him go, startled to realize the depth of the conversation he had just had with Jimmy. In their time together in the Express, he and Jimmy had developed a close, if often-tested bond, and both now thought of themselves as the closest things to brothers they would ever find. But such brotherly affection did not often extend itself to matters of the heart, especially when it involved two proud, stubborn young men and the young woman they both had feelings for. The fact that Jimmy had discussed it with him, and so honestly, meant more to Kid than he could ever convey to him.

"Thanks a bunch, Kid!" Jimmy suddenly called from the other corner of the barn.

When Kid joined him, Jimmy was attempting to wrestle the paperback from the baby's firm grasp. The pages were frayed, the cover wet with drool.

"Don't tell me you can't get that book away from that baby, Jimmy," teased Kid as his friend struggled.

"Not if I don't want to break her arms tryin'!"

Beth gazed at Jimmy with determination in her green eyes, but her hold finally broke and Jimmy drew the book away from her. She grunted angrily and rolled onto her side, her back to him.

"I reckon she's mad at you, Jimmy!"

"Well, I ain't too happy with her right now, either. Look what she did to the book!"

Jimmy glared at Kid. "Guess I have you to thank for that. Where'd you get the bright idea to give her my Christmas present for Cody?"

"I didn't_ give_ it to her. She must've picked it up."

Jimmy inspected the wet cover and the tiny marks where her tooth had made indentations. "No wonder she was so quiet. This thing kept her plenty busy."

Beth let out a long, sharp wail and then looked to her caretakers for their reaction.

They both looked back sternly. She frowned. This was not the reaction she was used to. She tested them again with another wail, longer this time. Still no response from either of them. Changing tactics, she cooed and flashed them each a beguiling smile, clapping her hands together imploringly. Finally they laughed, and she relaxed.

"It's hard to resist that face, ain't it?" remarked Jimmy as he scooped Beth into his arms once more. She began to fuss, this time in earnest. She struggled against

Jimmy's broad chest, pushing at him with all her strength. She refused more milk and her diaper was still miraculously unsoiled.

"It's awful late. Maybe she's sleepy. Now's probably a good time for that lullaby you were thinkin' of, Kid."

Kid pressed a kiss to the baby as she lay in Jimmy's arms. His mind searched desperately for the songs his mother had sung to him as a small boy. Memories of her flashed through his mind, her gentle eyes and her loving smile that warmed his insides, her laughter and her tears and the love he felt whenever she was close by. When he closed his eyes he could see her sitting on the edge of his bed, smoothing his ruffled hair away from his face, crooning soft songs that had been fashioned just for him. He couldn't believe this baby's mama had left her behind. The knowledge that Beth would never know the sweet touch of a mother, the all-consuming, unconditional love that stayed with you through bad times and good, nearly broke his heart. No baby deserved this fate. He hummed a tune softly and then the words came.

_Sleep gently, sleep well_

_My darling little one_

_Dream dreams of sweet laughter_

_Dreams of days in the sun_

_Dream of secrets on the wind_

_And moondrops on the snow_

_Dream of my love following you_

_Wherever you go_

_Sleep blissfully, sleep soundly_

_And when you see light_

_May your day be as happy_

_As the dreams you dreamed through the night._

* * *

Jimmy and Kid rested in a pile of hay with Beth between them. She slept peacefully, her little chest rising and falling, her eyes fluttering behind translucent lids. Her tiny baby lips were pursed against her hand and her breath came out in soft sighs. She was drooling onto the white silken pillow Kid had ordered for Lou all the way from Boston. Jimmy was stroking her downy black hair with one fingertip while Kid watched, mesmerized by the cadence of her breathing.

"I wonder what time it is," said Jimmy.

Kid withdrew his worn and cracked pocket watch. "Just after midnight."

"Well, Merry Christmas, Kid...thanks for the shirt."

"Yeah, Merry Christmas, Jimmy."

"This ain't exactly what we had in mind when we left St Joe, is it?"

Kid grinned. "Not exactly."

"Guess it was a pretty lucky thing, though. Beth would be all alone if we hadn't gotten here. She'd be laying here all hungry and cold and dirty." Jimmy frowned as he imagined it, his heart constricting painfully at the thought of Beth in such circumstances.

"I still say there coulda been a reason for someone leavin' her behind, Jimmy."

"There could be," conceded Jimmy. "But I don't want to think about what that could be."

"Think Emma will mind us bringin' her home?"

"Bringin' her is one thing. Keepin' her is another."

"I don't want her to go to some orphanage like Lou and her brother and sister had to go to. Or some mission school like Buck and Ike. I don't want that for her, Jimmy."

"I don't want it for her either, Kid, but how the hell are a bunch of Pony Express riders going to take care of a baby?"

"Emma might want to keep her. She's got a real soft spot for little ones."

"It's unfair to ask her just 'cause she's so tender-hearted."

"Maybe we can find Beth's family."

Jimmy's face darkened. "That's like throwin' her back to the wolves."

"We don't know that."

"This baby deserves a real family. Not people who'll toss her into a barn when she gets to be a burden. She needs people like us, and Emma and Teaspoon and Sam."

"She would be quite a Christmas present wouldn't she?" Kid joked after a moment.

"She'd have everyone wrapped around her little finger in no time," agreed Jimmy, thinking of his friends all oohing and aahing over the baby. "Everyone would want her. She could wind up bein' Bethlehem Hickok-McCloud-McSwain-Kid-Cross-Cody-Cain-Hunter-Shannon." He rolled the names off his tongue breathlessly, then chuckled.

Kid sighed. "I really hate it that we ain't there for Christmas."

"Me too. I think I was lookin' forward to this Christmas more than any I ever had before."

"So was I. I thought it was goin' to be awful nice just to sit around the house with everyone and relax. Maybe play some games, have some fun."

"Naw, it's more than that, Kid. This would be the first Christmas with a real family. I always been on my own at Christmastime. Even when I was with my sister it wasn't nothin' like bein' in the bunkhouse with everyone there, laughin' and talkin' and carryin' on. This was the first Christmas I was thinkin' would _feel_ like a Christmas."

"Jimmy, I'm - "

"You apologize one more time and I'll shoot you dead, Kid." Jimmy's broad grin softened his words. "This ain't your fault." He glanced down at the still sleeping baby.

"Anyway, I reckon it's not such a bad Christmas after all. Certainly has been a memorable one."

"Jimmy? Do you think we're doin' the right thing takin' Beth back with us?"

"Now this is a first - Kid not knowin' what's the right thing to do?" Kid reached and out and punched his friend.

"Sorry, Kid," Jimmy apologized sheepishly. "I couldn't resist."

"Just answer the question," Kid said, chuckling and shaking his head. He folded his arms behind his head and lay back, staring at the ceiling of the barn, wondering why, when all his hopes for the holiday had been ruined, he was feeling so happy. Jimmy's eyes were still fixed on the infant between them. Once he had been that size, able to be picked up and held in a person's arms; but try as he might he couldn't imagine he had ever been that tiny. It was inconceivable. He looked over at Kid stretched out in the hay and grinned at yet another predicament they had gotten themselves into. Still, if he had to be stranded in a snowstorm with anyone, being with his best friend wasn't a bad way to go.

"Jimmy, are you just goin' to sit there actin' all moony over the baby, or are you goin' to answer my question?"

"Well, I was just sittin' here thinkin' that I didn't mind bein' stuck here with you all that much, but now I ain't so sure." He smirked at Kid. "And to answer your question - yes, I think we're doin' the right thing by takin' this baby back with us. Hell, I _know_ we are. I don't reckon we have a choice."

"But her folks -"

"Kid, her folks left her here in this barn. No clothes, no food, and most importantly no protection. What makes you think they're the kind of folks who deserve her, anyhow?"

"They're her folks, that's why. Babies belong with their folks." Kid frowned as if reconsidering his words. "Don't they?"

"Kid, think about what you just said. Did Lou and Jeremiah and Theresa belong with Boggs? Did _you _belong with _your_ father? Just because they had a hand in the makin' of you don't mean they deserve the raisin' of you."

"I guess the raisin' is the hard part," mused Kid.

"Yeah, and the makin' is the fun part," Jimmy said with a laugh. "Can't imagine too many people object to the makin' part."

"There is one thing, though. One thing we can tell this little one when she's old enough to start askin' Uncle Kid and Uncle Jimmy questions."

"And what's that?"

"Well, that her mama and daddy cared enough to leave her in here, sheltered from the storm. Jimmy, think about it - maybe her folks couldn't take care of her or maybe her mama did it to protect her from someone like Boggs or my father. Or maybe they just couldn't be bothered with her. But they left her in _here_, in this barn. And where there's a barn full of animals there's a house not far off, and her mama _knew_ that. Somebody loved her enough to do that."

Jimmy pondered Kid in amazement. "By God Kid, when you start seein' some gray, you really start seein' it, don't you?"

A soft sigh from Beth broke the silence that followed. They looked to see her turn over on her back, eyes darting from one face to another. She smiled contentedly upon seeing them; these two men were now her world and their presence reassured her. She reached out one hand to Kid, the other to Jimmy, grabbing tiny fistfuls of each man's shirt, anchoring herself to them. She fluttered long, silky black lashes and gurgled again.

"What are you doin' awake, princess?" Jimmy demanded, playfully gruff.

Beth smiled beatifically, pure innocence shining from her eyes. She cooed at him, lifting her legs into the air and kicking at Kid's chest.

"Merry Christmas, little one," said Kid. "You should be asleep." Beth turned to Jimmy, her hand pounding futilely at his chest, imploring him with that face he already couldn't resist.

"You should be asleep," he said in agreement, tucking the blanket back around her legs. "You listen to Uncle Kid now. You wanna be fresh and happy for your first Christmas, don't you? You don't want to go meetin' all the folks at the bunkhouse lookin' all sour, do you? C'mere." He pulled the baby up against him, curving his arm underneath her, cradling her close. His lips brushed against her sweet-smelling forehead and he began to sing in a low whisper that Kid had to strain his ears to hear.

_Hush, little Bethie and don't say a word_

_Jimmy's gonna buy you a mockingbird_

_And if that mockingbird don't sing_

_Jimmy's gonna buy you a diamond ring_

_And if that diamond ring turns brass_

_Jimmy's gonna buy you a looking glass_

_And if that looking glass gets broke_

_Jimmy's gonna buy you a billy goat_

_And if that billy goat won't pull_

_Jimmy's gonna buy you a cart and bull_

_And if that cart and bull fall down_

_You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town_

The song ended and quietness reigned over the barn. Even the animals were silent. Kid looked over to see Beth once more sleeping, her hands clasped together, almost as if in prayer. He looked over at Jimmy, his mouth open to congratulate him on his success. He closed it just as quickly. His head resting on the hay, his face still pressed to Beth's, Jimmy was fast asleep, deep in the slumber of an exhausted man. The goat in the stall next to them reached under a railing to nudge Jimmy's leg, then returned once more to his companion. Smiling to himself, Kid closed his eyes too, not even caring that Jimmy and Beth had all of the blanket. He was snoring softly moments later, the stress of the day finally taking its toll, his body finally able to rest.

From the depth of her dreams, Beth reached out with one hand to clutch a cuff of Kid's shirt, the other resting on the arm that Jimmy had lain across her. And thus anchored once more to the two men, she slept soundly through the rest of the night.

* * *

The sun shone brightly on Christmas morning, bursting through the window like a joyous herald of the day. Kid woke before both Beth and Jimmy and after slipping into his dry things, stepped out of the barn into the white, impossibly beautiful world. The snow had piled high but the sun was already beginning to melt it. It reached past Kid's ankles and he thrilled to the sound of his booted feet crunching in it as he walked. The wind had died down, but there was a bite to the air and Kid could feel his cheeks numbing with the cold. The air was sharp as he breathed it in. A cardinal swooped down in front of him, landing on a patch of snow, brilliant red against pure white. He watched as it took off again, soaring through the air in complete and utter delight. As his gaze followed the bird disappearing over the horizon, Kid saw the house that rested no more than a quarter of a mile from the barn. Smoke curled cozily from its chimney A house, with a family inside, maybe a mother and father who would take Beth in and claim her as their own. A family - with the ability to care for a baby the way six Pony Express riders couldn't do, not even with the help of the woman who loved them as if they were her own. A family - the way Cody, Buck, Ike, Lou, Teaspoon, Sam, and Emma were a family to both Jimmy and himself; not related by blood, but perhaps by something stronger. A family - just as Beth deserved.

Kid was finally able to admit to himself that despite his reservations, he had begun to secretly imagine Beth in his life as a permanent fixture, a little baby who would grow into a bright-eyed girl, a sort of angel to watch over his family. It seemed so silly now. This baby deserved better than a dirty old bunkhouse with a bunch of teenagers who rode out every week not knowing if they would ever return. Even Emma, with her generous heart, couldn't be expected to take on a baby. Not when some day she surely hoped to have babies of her own.

Walking back into the barn, Kid was quiet with his thoughts. He watched the still-sleeping Beth, thinking how he had never been around babies before, and how he had never been prepared to know the space they could take up in your heart so quickly. He could still feel her weight in his arms and smell her sweet baby scent on his hands; the memory of her smile was still strongly imprinted on his brain. The very basic, human desire to see that baby through the rest of her life was with him now, and had been since the moment she had first touched her soft fingers to his.

But I'm just a kid, he thought. Just like my name says. I'm a kid who rides horses and runs through the country risking his life. I'm a kid who still fights with his friends and still asks Emma and Teaspoon and Sam for advice. I'm a kid who's in love with a girl who's just a kid, too. I live in a dirty bunkhouse with a bunch of other kids. And none of us can do right by this baby. Except maybe Jimmy and me. Except maybe by giving her up.

"Jimmy," he whispered. He prodded his friend's shoulder carefully. "Jimmy, wake up. We got somethin' we need to do." He took a deep breath and tried to stop the wistful tears behind his eyes. He knew this was the right thing to do, however much he wanted to believe differently. The hard part would be convincing Jimmy.

But when Jimmy awoke, he looked at Kid with piercing gray eyes, and Kid saw that he wouldn't have to convince him of anything. He saw that Jimmy knew it, too.

* * *

The family that lived in the house was called Campbell. They were from Scotland and had lived in America for the past four years: a mother, a father, three daughters and two sons, all with the same soft, rolling burr to their voices. When Jimmy and Kid interrupted their Christmas breakfast, the Campbells didn't seem fazed in the slightest. They welcomed the two young men and the baby as if they were pleased with the company. After introductions, all seven Campbells watched Kid and Jimmy from their vantage points at the breakfast table. More than a little unnerved, Jimmy found that no words would come and he looked to Kid for help.

Kid cleared his throat. "Um, we - we want to apologize first of all for the usin' of your barn. Jimmy and me came upon it durin' the storm yesterday and spent the night there."

Mr Campbell laughed at this. "Do ye' honestly think we mind, laddie?"

"It was a blessing for ye' both," Mrs Campbell agreed, nodding to her husband.

"The thing is..." Kid looked down at Beth, bundled in his arms. She was asleep, sucking her thumb. "We found this baby girl there."

With that seven chairs scraped against the floor as every member of the family rose to their feet to look at the baby Kid held. There were murmurs of delight as Beth opened her eyes to gaze upon them with equal curiosity.

"Oh, Mam, she's so tiny!" squealed the youngest boy.

"Look at her little fingers and toes!" added a sister.

"The darling wee bairn..."

Every child had an adoring comment, except for the eldest, a girl about their own age who smiled shyly at Jimmy and said nothing. "Is that why you've come to us, lad? Do ye' think the baby is ours?" asked Mrs Campbell skeptically.

"Oh, no!" both Kid and Jimmy exclaimed simultaneously. One look at the well-dressed Campbells with a plateful of food before each child was proof enough they would never have had the heart to abandon a creature as helpless as Beth.

"No, it ain't that," Jimmy assured them. "It's just...well, me and Kid here...you see, we ride for the Pony Express -"

He was interrupted by the eldest boy, Eddy. "Do ye' really? Do ye' have guns and everythin'?"

"Edward!" admonished the oldest girl. "Where are your _manners_? And on _Christmas Day_!"

"Oh hush, _Margaret_," Eddy retorted, sticking out his tongue. "I'm only asking a question."

"Let the lad finish," instructed his father, and Eddy was silenced.

"We ride for the Express," continued Jimmy. "We live out at the station over in Sweetwater. You see, we ain't got the means to take care of a baby like this. We're all orphans out there and the woman who takes care of us - well, she's got her hands full already. And we were wonderin' -"

"Wondering if we could take the bairn into our care. Is that it?" asked Mrs Campbell kindly. She smiled at both young men with motherly eyes, admiring the way they carried themselves and the kindness she saw in them - the sort of kindness that made a boy wrap a baby up in a blanket and hold her in his arms.

"We can always take her to an orphanage," Kid said hastily, afraid they might have offended the couple. "Or we can keep her for a while at the station till we find someone who might be able to take her."

But as Kid looked around, he saw Mr Campbell's eyes lighting up and Mrs Campbell smiling at them. Each of the children looked excited, eyes fixed on the bundle in Kid's arms. He knew they had done the right thing.

* * *

The Campbells insisted on Kid and Jimmy staying for Christmas dinner. Neither had the heart to say no. They knew everyone at the bunkhouse would be concerned, but hopefully they would assume they had stayed in St Joe to wait out the storm. The day was a loud, boisterous affair. The Campbells danced and sang and played games and pulled Christmas crackers with loud shouts of joy. They had roast and plum pudding and every other dish imaginable and they doted on baby Beth. Shy at first, Kid and Jimmy quickly warmed to the family. For the first few hours they held tightly onto Beth, afraid to let their last few moments with her slip away. But gradually, as each of the Campbells came to talk to Beth, to kiss her or tickle her or twirl her around the room, as Beth's smile flashed adoringly at each of them by turn, Kid and Jimmy reluctantly released their claim. Not a word was said by either of them, but they both knew it, and couldn't ignore the pain that twisted their hearts.

Late in the evening, Jimmy slipped quietly out to the porch. Kid saw him go, but left him alone until young Ewan asked where he had gone. Kid found him leaning against the railing, staring up at the moon hanging like a huge pearl in the sky, giving off its dusky radiance.

"What are you doin' out here, Jimmy?" Kid's breath came out in puffy white clouds. He shivered, pulling his coat closer around him.

"Just thinkin'. Don't mind me."

Kid shrugged. "Felt kind of funny in there by myself." He paused. "You can't believe they took her, can you?"

Jimmy stared at him in the moonlight. It shocked him to know his friend had read his thoughts.

"Don't look at me like that, Jimmy, I'm thinkin' the same thing, you know. I mean, sure, that's the whole reason we brought her over here, to see if someone would be willin' to take her...but I won't deny I sorta hoped we'd have to take her with us."

"We woulda had to give her up eventually anyhow, I reckon."

"I know. Still kinda hurts, though."

"We didn't even have her for a day, Kid, it ain't like we had a lifetime with her." But Jimmy's argument seemed directed more at himself than at Kid, as if he were trying to talk himself out of what he was feeling.

"Mr and Mrs Campbell said we could visit anytime we had a mind to."

"It ain't the same," scoffed Jimmy, looking away. "She ain't gonna know us as anything more than visitors who come around once or twice a year. We ain't gonna be anyone special to her."

"You really believe that, Jimmy? You really believe we can't be as special to her then as we are now?"

Jimmy sighed heavily. "I'm all right, Kid, really. You don't need to worry about me. I'm just disappointed. I mean, I know we're just a couple of good-for-nothin' teenagers, but it just seemed kinda nice havin' her around. That's all." He grinned suddenly.

"Remember that burp she let out last night?"

Kid burst into laughter. "She woulda put Teaspoon to shame."

"And your face when she wet all over your shirt this mornin'!" Jimmy couldn't resist pointing out.

Kid grimaced. "Yeah well, I'm just glad your present to Sam happened to be just my size."

"Good thing I bought Lou that fancy soap, too, otherwise you'd both be smellin' mighty unpleasant right now."

A thought occurred to Kid. "Do we have _anything_ left for Christmas presents?" Jimmy reflected on this. "Let's see, today we had to use the knife you got for Buck to break the ice to get us some water; we used the bridle you got for Ike's horse on Katy since hers broke; we had to use the scarf I got for Buck to bundle up the baby..." He stopped. "I think we're left with a belt for Sam and some of those fancy cookies for Cody."

Even in the pale light Jimmy could see Kid flush. "Well, ah, we don't have Sam's belt either."

"What?"

"The strap on my saddlebags broke so I had to use Sam's belt to tie 'em together," answered Kid sheepishly.

Jimmy threw his head back and laughed long and hard. After a moment Kid joined in.

"I don't think anyone will mind," said Jimmy when they had finally stopped laughing. By now both their noses were red with the cold.

"I'll be glad to get home."

"Me too."

"And we will come visit Beth, won't we?"

"Yeah, Kid. We sure will."

"She's goin' to really be somethin' someday, Jimmy. I can see it in her eyes. She's meant for big things."

"I think you're right. I'd sure as hell put all my bets on her."

From inside the house they heard the first tinkling notes of a piano, and then the Campbell family's voices, so many they seemed like a choir, fell into song. Their voices melted richly together, creating a sound full of beauty and magic. Their singing carried out of the house onto the porch where Kid and Jimmy stood shivering. The song, sung so clearly by the harmonious blend of voices, seemed to hold within it all that was pure and joyous about Christmas.

_O, little town of Bethlehem_

_how still we see thee lie_

_Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by_

And Kid saw Beth in the manger, waving at him with her chubby arms as he found her, looking at him with happy eyes.

_Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light_

_The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight_

Jimmy could see Beth, smiling at them both with that baby giggle, and thought of what Kid had said, that she was destined for greatness. The amazing realization that such a tiny, new creature had so much promise to fulfill, nearly overwhelmed him. He was ready to go home now. Anxious, even. He wanted to see Emma and Teaspoon and Sam and everyone else; he wanted to tell them about Beth, to hear what they would say. He wanted to be with his family.

_O, holy child of Bethlehem descend to us we pray_

_Cast out our sins and enter in Be born to us today_

Perhaps Kid was thinking the same thing. He turned to Jimmy and said, "Let's get an early start tomorrow, okay, Jimmy?" "Yeah, let's do that."

_O morning stars together_

_Proclaim the holy birth and praises sing to God the King and peace to men on earth_

They opened the door and the Campbells' voices grew stronger, clearer, sweeter.

"Merry Christmas, Jimmy."

"Yeah. Merry Christmas, Kid."

_Oh hear thy sacred angels as faith holds wide the door_

_Then darkness wakes, the glory breaks as Christmas comes once more._

**The End**


End file.
